


the art of mastering yuki rurikawa

by dumprurikawa (rakuenoasis)



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: /j, 3ghost event story, Canon Compliant, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, I hate it, Light Angst, Spoilers, it did smth to me, mixed w that part from ep 11 of the anime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26045173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rakuenoasis/pseuds/dumprurikawa
Summary: "He’s teased because of his special ability, and while I don’t have an ability like his, I’ve also gotten told a lot of things because I’m different from others. I can relate to his feelings of not wanting to hide his true self."Yuki has a problem going over his lines again. This time, it's for a completely different reason.
Relationships: Rurikawa Yuki & Sumeragi Tenma, Rurikawa Yuki/Sumeragi Tenma
Comments: 1
Kudos: 43





	the art of mastering yuki rurikawa

**Author's Note:**

> inspiration is from [this song](https://youtu.be/J3K3V36mlLM). by the end of this fic, i looped this song around 4k+ times today. send help.
> 
> also wow. 3ghosts rlly hit so hard, esp with what yuki said to kumon hhhh i think i'll brainrot over this for the next 10 years or so

When Yuki picked the bullied character as his role in the new play, Tenma couldn't help but actually feel worried.

And he's not going to deny it anymore; he _is_ worried. But of course he's not going to verbalise it. What kind of dumbass would he be if he does that? Yuki would probably tease him about it to no end, then act frustrated and say that he doesn't "need to be babied over it so get over it". No. If there is anything Tenma is smart at, it's acting, bonsai, and the art of dealing with one Yuki Rurikawa.

Which is why he opted to stay behind with a Yuki who initially wanted to go over his lines on his own.

Initially, because it's not like Yuki had a choice anyways. Especially since Tenma insisted on it. It's not everyday (or even every practise session) that Tenma wants to practise _with_ Yuki. On a normal day, Tenma would've wanted to practise _away_ from anyone else especially Yuki.

Today, however. Today is weirdly different.

"Go over that line, again."

Tenma hears the groan from the other in response.

"I-I'm not lying! Just give me back my-"

"You're acting too nervous here. What Susukida needs is to feel _timid_ , not nervous. Do it again."

Yuki lets out a ragged sigh. "Fine, fine." And then he clears his throat. "I'm not lying...! Just...give me back my-"

"Stop, stop. Now you sound like you're trying too hard,"

Tenma sighs, "You know what, let's take a break. We've been going over this for almost an hour now."

"...right."

They both sit on the floor of the practise room with the setting orange rays of the sunlight filtering through the window. Tenma slides the pink Hello Kitty water bottle to Yuki. 

"Thanks."

Tenma takes a gulp from his own water bottle and puts it down a bit after, whilst already mentally preparing his notes for improvement for Yuki. Normally, criticising Yuki becomes less of an arduous task and more of just something done in passing the more plays they practise a troupe. And Tenma couldn't help but recognise that Yuki has grown significantly as an actor. 

Today, however, is different.

It felt like Yuki just fell back to where he was three years ago on his very first practise session, when he'd go over his lines monotonously while pausing in between the parts where he definitely shouldn't.

So not only does Tenma have to deal with a lingering anxiety on Yuki getting into his role but he has to deal with a Yuki who's already falling off the rails with his acting.

(Damn that Rurikawa, he thinks. He shouldn't have pushed on with this role if his acting was going to be affected by it, anyways. What was he thinking?)

Instead of going off however, Tenma decides to play it cool first. The last thing he needs is a Yuki who's going to blow up at him if he says the wrong thing. He doesn't need Yuki to walk out on him when he _needs_ to watch him closely.

"Geez, really," Tenma starts. "Didn't you get this role in the first place _because_ you understand how he feels?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well," Tenma groans, throwing his head enough to lean onto the wall. "It feels otherwise. It's like-"

"Like I can't understand the character at all?"

Tenma's eyes widen in surprise.

"How did you-"

"Then answer me first," Yuki's voice seems to have shifted into a much firmer tone. And for all years Tenma's spent with him, he _knows_ that this means the escalation of something much worse.

God fuck. He's not in the mood for a fight right now. But he might as well push with it if it's going to lead to something good, right? It doesn't seem like Yuki would be walking out on him, either. So now is his chance.

Yuki continues, "Why are you practising with me? Normally, you wouldn't do this."

Or, not.

"Why are you acting like you're so offended about this?" Tenma retorts back.

Yuki looks away from him. "It's not like you _ever_ offered to have a one-on-one practise session with me, right? So if you're doing this, there must be a reason for it."

Ah, so this must be it.

How could Tenma have forgotten? If he was able to master the art of reading Yuki Rurikawa, then likewise Yuki would also end up mastering the art of reading Tenma Sumeragi.

And maybe Yuki's gotten even better at him in this that answering anything but the truth seems like an impossible feat for Tenma.

Idiot Tenma. He shouldn't have underestimated him like this.

So with a defeated sigh, he answers. "I...might have gotten worried..."

"Worried? So the oh-so great Tenma is now showing care and compassion outwardly?" Yuki laughed. "Am I really talking to the real Tenma Sumeragi here?"

"It's not that! We all know that you getting the role of a bullied character is kind of dangerous territory for ya, right?!"

Yuki looks like he's about to say something. But then he closes his mouth and turns away from him even more, choosing to look towards the other side of the room instead.

"But that's because he's like me, right? So it'd make sense if I play him!"

"That's the problem! Didn't that entire bullying shtick hurt you for so long?"

There's a beat of pause that passes through the air. A part of Tenma thinks that he might have hit the nail right on the head. At the same time, he can't help but worry even more. Was that too much for Yuki? Did that poke something he shouldn't have? Why is he worrying about the situation so much? Actually no, why did he bring his worries into this to start off?

Tenma couldn't help but think that he messed this up big time. 

_Agh, get a grip, Sumeragi! You're losing it here._

It takes a while before Yuki finally decides to answer him.

"...Maybe it did," Yuki mumbles, head now tilted to lean onto the wall as well. "But isn't this okay? By projecting the hurt into the character to make him more realistic?"

Mentally, Tenma could exhale in relief. "Well, you're not acting like him at all. And that's the other problem."

"...It's stupid, honestly. I can just work on my lines after this, though. So let's get going, Your Highness-"

"No. _No,_ " Tenma cuts him off. "You're going to sit down and tell me what's up. Because if this affects the entire play, then that would fall on _you_. And we won't be able to get to the bottom of this _unless_ you tell me what's up," And then he lets out a huff. "Hmph. Just because Misumi's the leader for this round doesn't mean _I'm_ not the overall troupe leader here. So just...rely on me, at least for this, okay?"

He definitely couldn't tell Yuki that it's also mostly because of what he saw that day. He definitely doesn't want to let three years of keeping that one secret go down the drain just like that. At least for all the embarrassing shit he's said, he was able to keep that to himself.

There's another beat of silence before he suddenly hears stifles of laughter coming from his side.

"O-Oi, why are you laughing-?!"

"I'm sorry...!" Yuki tries to hold himself to keep his racking body from keeping still, only to end up falling to his side while gasping for air with tears on his face. "It's...just that...it's very rare for you to be this open...!"

"Shut up!" Tenma feels his ears heat up. "You're not telling anyone about this. Got it?!"

"Who knows, who knows!"

Once it seems that all the air in his lungs have been expelled and Yuki could no longer let anything out anymore, he weakly pushes himself back up with his arms and wipes the tears from the corner of his eyes once he's seated back to where he was originally.

"I'd rather not, though," Yuki remarks. "Or else you'd be the laughingstock for the next week."

"You better not!"

"But..."

Yuki's smile doesn't seem to fade. Rather, his look softens as his head turns back to staring at the other side of the room. "...thanks. Really."

"Oh? And since when did _you_ get soft?"

"Mm. Just felt like it. But...fine. I think I can let your shitty ears hear this. I'm only repeating this once, though. So listen closely because this is really embarrassing. I mean," Yuki tucks the strands of his hair behind his own ear. "It's only fair that I embarrass myself in exchange for that embarrassing speech you made."

"Hey, what part of what I just said was embarrassing?!"

"Anyways," Yuki ignores him. "It kind of feels weird but...I guess I feel like I forgot what it was like to get...bullied like that."

Wait. What.

"What does that mean-?!"

"Or, maybe that's not the right way to say it," Yuki sighs. "I think I separated the life where I'd usually get bullied and the life I have here in Mankai. And for the longest time, I've treated them like they're separate from each other for so long...I keep on forgetting that I still carry that bullied life in here, too."

"Hmm..."

"So it's like a block, a wall in front of me, basically," Yuki concludes. "I can't bring myself to feel hurt when I'm here."

"But outside...it's different, right?"

Yuki nods and pauses, as if contemplating for a bit before making his own statement. "You saw that thing from three years ago, right? When I got cornered by those people from my school?"

"H-Ha?!" Now _this_ surprises Tenma. "How did you know?!"

"Muku told me. That and your snotty aura is too easy to be noticed."

"Why, you-"

"But I hated it, honestly," Yuki mumbles. "I know Muku called me cool. However, it was the one time I decided to mix both of those lives into one situation. And I didn't like it." He sighs. "It really hurt. So I decided not to do that, again."

"...Because you're afraid of breaking," Tenma answers, seeming to have completed his thought.

"...yeah. I hate it when that happens. And I feel like living my role, mixing those lives together again...it might come off as _too_ much of self-projection."

"...Then isn't that good?"

"Eh?"

Tenma then turns his head towards him. "You, of all people, know what Susukida feels after all. It's not like I can play that role. Not Muku. Not Misumi. Not even Kazunari, heck. Not even Kumon. So maybe...it's _okay_ to project yourself onto him, in the level that would feel enough for you, of course."

"Enough to bring out his character."

"Exactly," Tenma nods. "As for the hurt...that's why I was worried when you took that role."

"...You didn't want me to feel that hurt from those years ago."

"Yeah..."

"...That's stupid."

"Eh?"

Yuki shrugs, as if the answer is obvious. Somehow, Tenma feels the air around him change all of a sudden.

"I mean, I have you guys now, right? It's not like you're going to bully me off-stage either."

"But-"

"I'll be fine," He says this, now with a newfound vigor full of confidence. "I know I have you guys, anyways. The thing that happened back then was different because I wasn't too attuned to that fact. That's on me for not believing it sooner."

"..."

"If I did mess up today, it's because I'm trying to mix that other life with the one I have now. Be patient for once, alright? Geez, you're so impatient. Learn to pick up the pace, shitty actor."

Tenma sighs. Of course Yuki would've mentally come to terms with this by now. What was he getting fussed over, anyways? Yuki's stronger and admittedly much more reliable than him. Yuki wouldn't have picked that role if he didn't make up his mind on this fully.

To sum it up, Tenma feels that there's no point in this conversation anymore. Why did he waste his time talking to someone who got his shit together already?

(Even so, there's still a bittersweet taste that sticks to his throat. Somehow, Tenma _wants_ Yuki to not figure this out. Tenma for some reason _wants_ Yuki to feel weak enough to have a life-changing vision because of his words. He doesn't like this Yuki. He doesn't _want_ him to already figure this out long before Tenma could.

He hates it. He hates it.)

Tenma stands up, defeat crowding his system.

"If that's the case, you better polish up your lines. Your words contradict your actions so much, really."

"Says you, who keeps on telling us to rely on you, only to hide your problems like they're some obvious sore wound."

_Shouldn't you be saying that to yourself?_

"Whatever. I won't hold back for this next practise round."

"I don't intend you to, either. It's not like I just met you yesterday."

(Yet even with the art of learning about Yuki Rurikawa, he feels like it'll never be enough to reach his heart.

Tenma feels like he's only met Yuki just yesterday. And that's the worst part. He hates it. He hates it.)

"Stop your blabbering. Let's get on with this or we'll be late for dinner."

"Oh. And Tenma?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks. For what you said about relying on you."

**Author's Note:**

> anyways, liber when r u gonna drop that sexy yuki closure arc pls im so tired of waiting


End file.
